Final Day

The day started early with church.  When we got on base, we found Jeffrey – he was getting yelled at by a drill instructor for walking alone (to where we had asked him to meet us).  Barbara ran over to him quickly, which cut short any further yelling… since now Jeffrey was no longer alone.

The church service was fun and loud.  The message on sacrifice was awesome, and maybe 50 of the 250 or so in attendance came to the altar and gave their life to Christ.  It was quite moving and it brought me to tears.  People in boot camp really need Jesus!

After lunch, we hung out at the Lodge until we decided to go shopping at the main BX.  Jeffrey had never been on this side of the base so it was very new to him.  Now this is what a usual Air Force base looks like!  The boot camp side was sparse, barren, and without any entertainment.  This side of the base was beautiful, family-oriented, and had the type of architecture I had come to associate with Air Force bases – big, impressive structures usually painted in earth tones.

We bought Jeffrey a suit bag for his uniform and checked out computers (Jeffrey bought a computer the following day!)  Jeffrey and Courtney also bought better quality headphones for their iPhones, since base prices are so much cheaper.  Lunch was at the food court.  After lunch, we headed back to the Lodge, watched a movie, then said our good-byes to everyone: Grandma and Grandpa, and Jeffrey.  On the way to drop Jeffrey off at the barracks, we returned the movie, and Jeffrey then took out money for tithing — what a good kid, tithing at the very start of his career!  We then dropped him off.  For one brief moment, he looked like a little kid again, giving us a little wave, and then he straightened up, turned around and walked away with a very adult and military bearing.  And then he was gone.  I don’t know when we’ll see him again.

Barbara spent time with her parents.  Courtney did homework.  I watched the rather excellent Pro Bowl game (they should draft every year!), and then we all went to bed.